West Oakland Sound Series

Recognized as one the foremost Brazilian musicians of their generation, FÁBIO PRESGRAVE (cello) and JOANA HOLANDA have been performing versatile and captivating programs with a wide range of aesthetic affiliations. Both musicians are faculty members at Federal University of Natal (UFRN) in Brazil. The duo performs Brazillian-born, Oakland composer BRUNO RUVIARIO'S Beatriz Suite(2024), a 13-movement work written for the duo. Using […]

SILVIA MATHEUS (computer and electronic music composer, sound artist, and improviser) teams up with RIC LOUCHARD (pianist, composer, and improviser) to create The VisitoR, a performance where electronics and acoustics meet and interact. LISA MEZZACAPPA: MUSIC FOR MORE THAN A FEW OF US Bassist and composer LISA MEZZACAPPA presents a set of new and newly-arranged […]

Bay Area flutists DIANE GRUBBE and MEERANAI SHIM perform solo and duo works by Robert Dick, Mario Davidovsky, Dai Fujikura, Alyssa Aska, and The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker. THE HOLY MARTINS is KASEY KNUDSEN (alto saxophone), LORIN BENEDICT (voice), and ERIC VOGLER (guitar). They have been playing in this configuration for over 15 years, during which time the group has explored a broad range of […]

RIC LOUCHARD is a Bay Area composer, pianist, improviser, writer and story teller. His stories strive to find the universal in the very personal. His music is emotive and, well, romantic, or at least on the Dionysian side of the fence. It tends towards chromaticism, atonality or quirky tonality. Motivic with sometimes complex rhythms. His musical […]

THE STINSON TRIO is the restless electric improvising union of drummer TIM BULKLEY, guitarist DAVID DVORIN, and reeds player RANDY MCKEAN. Using drum and cymbal, amps and effects, high and low saxes/clarinets, they fashion instant jigsaw superstructures from composite layers of sound and rhythm. The Stinson project came about after trombonist and fellow Flounder band member Cliff Childers’ unexpected […]

As a duo, JON ARKIN (drums, live processing) and BEN GOLDBERG (clarinet) bring together an unprecedented diversity of organic and synthetic elements, forming a truly unique musical amalgam. Arkin’s self-designed hybrid electro-acoustic setup acts as both a support and foil to Goldberg’s singular improvisational voice, within the contexts of traditional composition, spontaneous composition, and algorithmic […]

EDA ER and DANNIEL RIBEIRO debut their dynamic duo, blending vocals, electronics, electric guitar, and video. Their work incorporates transducers and extended techniques within a structured improvisation setting, highlighting their shared exploration of sound, collaboration, and multimedia expression. Eda Er is a composer, multimedia artist, and vocalist based in the Bay Area. Her work integrates […]

CHRIS BROWN (piano/electronics) and THEA FARHADIAN (violin/electronics) come together for their first time improvised duo performance. THEA FARHADIAN is a performer/composer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work extends across a wide range of disciplines, including solo violin and interactive electronics, acoustic improvisation, solo laptop, radio art, and scoring experimental video. Her solo […]

GIACOMO FIORE presents Lost Horse Wash Drone - a series of works composed after one week in residence at the Lou Harrison House in Joshua Tree, California, contemplating matters of tuning, improvisation, and our environment. The music is built on small just intonation modes, played on fretless electric and refretted resophonic guitar with live electronic […]

PHILIP GELB After a long absence from the music scene, Philip Gelb has returned to performing, marking his first ensemble performance since the Pauline Oliveros Memorial Festivals. During those festivals, Gelb emerged from self-imposed retirement to pay tribute to his mentor and dear friend. Previously, due to dental issues, he was forced to give up […]

Cracking the Surface: Featuring David Michalak (instruments of skatch), Scott Looney (piano, hyper-piano), and Thomas Dimuzio (Buchla 200E, processing). This performance celebrates their new release recorded at Fantasy Studios with Tom Nunn, marking his last recording.​ Chris Brown & Ben Davis: Celebrating the release of "Jongleurs," this duo explores free improvisation with influences from classical […]